Favre leads Green Bay win on Detroit

Brett Favre set a Green Bay record with 20 consecutive completions in the Packers' 37-26 victory over the Detroit Lions on Thursday.

Written by Associated Press

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Detroit:

Brett Favre set a Green Bay record with 20 consecutive completions and finished with a season-high 381 yards and three touchdowns in the Packers' 37-26 victory over the Detroit Lions on Thursday.

The three-time MVP fumbled after his first snap, tripping over a teammate, before putting together another sensational performance that made the 38-year-old quarterback look as if he's back in his prime.

His seventh 300-yard game of the season matched a team mark he set in 1995.

Green Bay (10-1) matched its best 11-game record since 1929 and the NFC North leaders have a four-game lead with five games left in the regular season.

The slumping Lions (6-5) have lost three straight and might struggle to finish .500 in a season that started with much hope and is suddenly looking familiar, coming off six straight double-digit loss seasons.

Green Bay, which overcame a six-point deficit in the first quarter, led 34-12 early in the fourth.

Just when Detroit looked as if it was going to be routed for the fourth straight time in its marquee game, Jon Kitna connected with Calvin Johnson in the end zone and Kevin Jones scored to pull the Lions within eight.

Green Bay got the ball back with 6:34 left and took time off the clock thanks to Favre's accurate passes and Ryan Grant's runs.

Mason Crosby's third field goal put the game out of reach with 1:44 to go.

Cowboys 34, Jets 3

At Irving, Texas, Tony Romo threw two touchdown passes, including a late one to Terrell Owens, sending the Cowboys past New York and giving Dallas its best record through 11 games in its 48-year, five-championship history.

While the milestone is nice, it's only good for a share of the NFC lead. Green Bay also is 10-1 and the Packers are headed to Texas Stadium next Thursday night.

The Cowboys (10-1) needed only eight plays to go ahead 7-0 and were up 21-0 before the Jets (2-9) even scored, getting a field goal in the final minute of the first half. Dallas wound up not allowing a touchdown for the first time all season.

Romo was 21-for-28 for 195 yards. His two-touchdown passes give him 29 on the season, tying a club record.

Owens caught six passes for 65 yards, with a 22-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Colts 31, Falcons 13

At Atlanta, Peyton Manning threw three touchdown passes, Anthony Gonzalez had 105 yards receiving and Indianapolis, after getting stunned with 10 quick points by Atlanta, rebounded for a victory.

Indianapolis (9-2) had struggled the past three weeks, losing twice and pulling out a lackluster win over Kansas City at home.

The Colts' malaise carried over the first quarter at the Georgia Dome, with the Falcons striking for Morten Andersen's 34-yard field goal and Joey Harrington's 48-yard touchdown pass to Roddy White.

But any thoughts the Falcons (3-8) had of pulling off a huge upset were quickly wiped out by Manning.

He threw all three of his TD passes in the second quarter, going 23 yards to Reggie Wayne, 8 yards to Dallas Clark and 5 yards to Ben Utecht.

Gonzalez didn't get to the end zone, but he was Manning's favorite receiver. He hauled in a 35-yard pass that set up Wayne's TD and a 32-yarder that led to Clark's score.